By Susan Conniry
July 9, 2006
With the World Trade Center incident on September 11, 2001,
the world changed. Though initially it seemed that the world
stood still while everyone came to grips with the tragedy,
it didn't take long for folks to start thinking and acting
in terms of "what can our government do to protect us?" With the Katrina disaster we learned that the government wasn't much help. Many were "on their own" in terms of surviving that event.
And, you'll note on www.ready.gov, the government is now telling us, " Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer." Take special note of the "maybe longer."
Realistically, there just aren't enough medical/emergency personnel to take care of us all. And, honestly, knowing that fact, it is selfish to be unprepared. So here are a few thoughts and ideas:
Attend any Preparedness seminar or read any Emergency Preparedness
handbook and one thing is missing: a statement regarding
your survival priorities. And this vital piece of information
could mean the difference between life and death. Even though
we know that we can live 4 minutes without air; 4 days without
water and 40 days without food, without an understanding
of survival priorities, and no experience dealing with a
disaster, fear can quickly impair judgment and thinking
and reduce our chances for survival. And yet, kept under
control, our mind and body can be pushed to perform remarkable
feats in survival situations. Your survival priorities are
shelter, water, fire and food
1. The most important survival priority is shelter. You
need to be protected from the elements - sun, wind, cold,
rain and even insects. We are particularly susceptible to
the effects of cold, wind, and rain. You will die in a matter
of minutes to hours depending on the temperature. Once hypothermia
sets in the vital organs begin to shut down. The brain is
first.
2. Water is your second survival priority. Water makes
up 75% of the human body and needs to be constantly replenished.
Once you have fulfilled your needs for shelter, all effort
is concentrated on finding, gathering and treating water.
Having some stored water on hand in case of an emergency
situation makes good sense.
3. Fire is your next priority. It provides warmth and light,
the ability to cook your food and a way to treat your water.
But fire also warms the human heart and goes a long way
to making you feel more secure.
4. Food is the last of your four basic needs. You won't
starve to death if you don’t get three square meals.
Food encompasses everything from plants, animals, traps,
weapons, learning to hunt and gather, cooking and storage.
In preparing for an emergency situation we do advocate storing
food. It is only prudent.
With this basic understanding of your survival priorities,
you are far better equipped to deal with a crisis situation.
Read books on survival techniques, better yet, take a hands-on
class and now would be a good time.
Emotions
By nature we are emotional creatures and often react adversely
to negative situations. We become angry and want to place
blame. Or we become so upset that we become paralyzed into
inaction. In a survival situation it doesn't matter how
it happened or who made it happen, you are the lead player
and you have to deal with it. Use your brain. Think. Don't
run around erratically till you fall off a cliff. Put all
that energy into building your shelter instead. Remember
that a survival situation is just a change in circumstances.
We are amazing creatures. We adapt.
Energy
Survival means energy. In urban America we long ago gave
up the first-hand reward system and instead replaced it
with money. Money then pays for our addictions to comfort
and convenience. Through the secondary reward system of the greenbacks we have been lulled into a false sense that
someone else will always "take care of it". If
you let that attitude prevail in a survival situation, you
will die. Survival living is hard work. We call it "self-correcting
behavior". If your shelter isn't adequate, you will
freeze. If you don't energetically search for and find water,
you will be thirsty. Survival living means doing it yourself.
And that takes energy.
Attitude
Unfortunately, by paying into the secondary reward system,
we have also created a falsehood of always trying to live
in the future. When the weekend comes, when she graduates,
when I get that raise, after we retire. Survival living
is living every moment as it comes. When you actively participate
in skills that mean the difference between life and death,
you will discover once again the pleasure of the first-hand
reward system. It is being very grateful for all you have,
not wishing for what you don't. It is the way we were always
supposed to live. Survival living is living simply. Once
you have your needs, shelter, water, fire and food, you
will realize that all the rest are wants.
Please get busy. Learn the basic skills, make emergency
preparedness your number one priority. With all of us helping
out to help ourselves, we take the pressure off emergency
personnel. And, remember, Keep It Simple!
"Creating Awareness Without Precipitating Panic." Disaster Survival Workshops are available for your community or city. Offered at no charge to the general public. Please contact us for more info.
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Ready or Not - A Disaster Survival Handbook by Susan Conniry and Tom Beasley.. |
